Taking a cue from the waters of Newport Harbor lapping at their deck, owners Tom and Jody Whittington have run with the marine theme for their new restaurant. Located, in Rhode Islandese, “where Sabina Doyle’s used to be,” H2O carries the motif along with large swatches of intense blue in the ceiling and walls, bright blue lights hanging low over tables, and long white organza drapes between the kitchen and dining room, reminiscent of sails or sea foam.
Outside, on the deck with a curved bar at one end, the decor continues in the multi-toned blue candleholders, the unusual water glasses shaped like a wave, and the blue glass serving dishes. Black and chrome chairs and linen-covered tables complete the aura of nouveau chic.
And the menu continues that, with Asian fusion cuisine from executive chef Todd Winer and sous chef James Roddy. Predictably, seafood dominates the menu, even at lunch, when you can choose from among tempura prawns, a seafood stir fry, mahi-mahi fish and chips, or a tataki salad — baby greens with sesame, ponsu crumbs, and a choice of chicken, tuna, or beef. Sandwiches include burgers, grilled chicken, smoked turkey, and a lobster roll with an Asian twist, with Chinese celery and a miso-battered roll.
At dinner, the raw bar serves tuna tartare in a martini glass, oysters on the half shell, a selection of sashimi (uncooked fish), and a “water tower” of oysters, clams, shrimp, crab, and lobster, in amounts priced from $48 to $90. Our attention turned to other appetizers, which included soy-glazed scallops, Maine steamers, and clam chowder. Since we were contemplating seafood for entrées, however, we chose non-seafood items for starters.
The signature H2O rolls ($10) are three fat spring rolls with julienned veggies, including jicama, carrots, sweet red peppers, and bean sprouts. The wrappers are deep purple, and bits of pink grapefruit peak out of the filling. Therein lies the problem: the innards won’t stay put, whether maneuvered by chopsticks, fork, or fingers. A possible solution would be wrapping the rolls tighter with more flexible coverings — just a suggestion.
“The salad” ($7), so billed, is a marvel of presentation. Tucked inside a short cylinder made from a long sliver of English cuke, the baby greens, fresh strawberries, and (very scarce) chopped walnuts spill out when the cucumber slice is unraveled. A tasty lemon vinaigrette coats this ensemble.
Now, how to decide among the fish dishes? Would it be mahi-mahi with basmati and steamed bok choy? Miso-rubbed salmon with sushi rice? Sesame-crusted tuna with green tea foam? Neither of us was up for a Cantonese-style whole fish, which changes daily. But I landed on the grilled swordfish ($25), and Bill opted for the pan-roasted chicken ($18).
The swordfish was served with “caramel cashews,” a topping on the fish, and with a green papaya salad, dressed with tamarind-lime vinaigrette. This salad, with shredded vegetables like sweet red pepper adding color and flavor to the crunchy white strands of unripe papaya, is a favorite in Thai cooking.
The cashews were a bit overwhelmed by their sauce, and the swordfish was a disappointment. Fresh, carefully grilled sword can be buttery and almost sweet. But long cuts of this fish tend to vary in thickness, and cooks must take note not to cook every piece the same. Mine, unfortunately, was overdone and dry, although the diner next to me seemed happy with her thicker swordfish steak.
